Friends
by The Evil Duck
Summary: Lily Evans knows there's something wrong with Remus. But one thing stands between her and the answer: James Potter.


_A/N: Ummm... I'm thinking this one will be for the "Friends" prompt of the fan fic x 100, just because of what it's about and the nature of the story. So yeah. I've been working on this for the past eternity, maybe eventually it'll be good enough to let see the light of day. TA DA!_

_-The Evil Duck_

**Disclaimer: **Yeah...no. I own nothing. :(

**Friends**

**or**

**The Truth About James Potter**

It had been days since Hogwarts had seen the sun. Snow had been falling in the its absence and the grounds were buried under feet of soft white powder. Now the sun broke gently through the sea of thick barring clouds blinking wearily down at the white world. The feeble gray-green light would do nothing to melt the frosty grounds, which resembled a snow globe after all the little flakes had settled to the bottom. It was too unnaturally still, unnaturally perfect.

Perfect, that is, except for three black shapes trudging through the snow up to their knees shaking with the cold.

Winter nights were the best. Dog tracks covered the grounds, snaking in between the prancing hoof marks. Huge malformed furry snow-angels dotted the otherwise picturesque landscape as did the wild marks of a dog throwing itself face first into the snow, half swimming through it, blazing a zigzagging trail. But the fun had worn off and three tired looking and soaking wet sixth year boys made their way back up to the castle.

Sirius Black, the tallest of the three, yanked open the huge oak doors with a great deal of effort before stepping inside, "Hell," he said to the others as they entered, "somehow I thought it would be warmer in here." He rubbed his soaking arms shivering loudly.

Peter's teeth were chattering. "I--I dun-n-no the la-s-s-st time it w-w-w-was this cold," he stammered.

"Last year?" suggested James before sneezing, "and you weren't even on the ground Wormtail, you were riding on my head."

"S-s-so?" Peter asked slightly offended, "s-s-still cold."

Sirius pulled his robe off over his head wringing it out. The shirt underneath was stuck fast to his skin, the melted snow and sweat quickly freezing. "This is going to be the death of us, Hypothermia I mean."

"And all this time," James said with a great sniffle, "I thought it would be Filtch. That'll be a great disappointment to him."

"Nah," said Sirius, "he'll have a party. Now his floors will be spotless, the Slytherin common room will remain green and silver, and he won't have to hear you talk about yourself ever again."

"It's hard not to," said James dreamily, "I'm perfect."

"Uh-huh," said Sirius evidently no longer listening. "Anyone remember the password, a few of my brain cells have frozen solid."

The Fat Lady gave a huge fake snore opening one eye slightly to watch them. "Oh it's you three," she said opening her eyes and yawning, "do you have any idea what time it is?" She looked around at the other paintings all of whom were still fast asleep in their frames.

"Five-ish?" shrugged James.

"Where have you three been?" asked The Fat Lady narrowing her eyes at them.

"Helter Skelter!" shouted Peter.

The Fat Lady had no choice but to swing open muttering, "fine, avoid the question. Rude."

James was the first one into the common room. He yawned pulling off his robes and tossing them next to the glowing fire before heading up stairs to their empty dormitory.

Sirius followed suit, "I think maybe next time we shouldn't change back until we're in the Entrance Hall."

"How would we get in?" squeaked Peter closing the dormitory door behind them, "none of us have thumbs."

"Hadn't thought of that," Sirius scratched his head.

"Fleas?" asked James smirking. Sirius shot him a look. "And don't you think it would be odd, Padfoot, to see a handsome, majestic, noble stag, a mangy dog, and a rat in the Entrance Hall?"

"I don't have fleas and you look suspiciously like a doe this time of year."

James was starting to take off his shirt but the task was made infinitely more difficult because of his numb fingers and soaked skin. "Why?"

"No horns," said Peter.

"Antlers!" shouted James tossing his shirt in Peter's direction, before pulling on his old Tornado's tee, "we've been through this---"

"Yeah, yeah," Sirius rolled his eyes then said perfunctorily, "antlers have prongs, so Prongs has antlers."

"Right."

When the three of them were fully clothed in their warm Pajamas they made their way back to the fireside where their robes, which were forming great discolored wet spots on the floor, were drying slowly.

"God bless the House-Elves," moaned James like someone sinking into a warm bath, throwing himself down in a squashy arm chair in front of the fire, "don't know what we'd do without them."

"Be cold," said Sirius rubbing his numb hands together before offering them to the warmth of the fire, palms facing the flames.

"And hungry," added Peter wrapping a thick quilt that he'd brought down from their dormitory around himself so only his round blonde head was poking out.

"You're always hungry, Wormtail!" said James leaning back with his eyes closed.

"Is that the _Prophet_?" asked Sirius suddenly. James looked over at the small round table between Peter's chair and his own.

"Yesterday's," James picked it up and scanned the headline.

Sirius shrugged, "is the crossword filled in?"

"No," James rolled his eyes tossing it to Sirius who grinned thankfully, "honestly you remind me of my grandmother."

"Oh?" said Sirius not really listening nodding thanks to Peter who handed him a self inking – erasable quill. Because of Sirius's strange hobby he left seemingly hundreds of these lying around.

"Yeah, she sits there, just like you're doing, sucking on the end of a quill and stuck over whatever 21 down is," James imitated an old woman's nasal creaking voice, _"James, what's the capital of Uzbekistan? James, dear, do you have any idea which US president was the fattest? What do you call a fear of chickens? What's the name of that thing muggle miner's get from inhaling too much ash? How many 'l's' are there in Grindylow?_"

"One," said Sirius who wasn't really listening, "oi Prongs, who won the 1788 Quiddich World Cup?"

"Austria-Hungary," said James automatically.

"Right," Sirius was counting spaces and muttering to himself, his quill fastened between his teeth, scratching his head suddenly and violently.

"Fleas," muttered Peter in a stage whisper.

"I do NOT have fleas." said Sirius loudly his pen scratching away in the little white squares.

"Bet that's where they go when they're not on Remus," said James and Peter nodded in agreement.

"I don't have fleas, but I do have a question."

"Tashkent, Taft, alektorophobia, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (aka black lung), and you were right, one 'i'."

"Bloody Hell, now I forgot my question," Sirius looked up at James quill still between his teeth.

"Luck of the draw, Padfoot my friend, luck of the draw." James leaned his head back and said almost dreamily, "how d'you reckon Remus is doing?"

Peter shrugged and Sirius didn't answer. He was squiggling the word _Odsplurt_ in the tiny white squares.

"I mean, can you imagine what it must be like to break every bone in your body like that? Once a month? Plus you know losing your mind and all..." he trailed off, "it must be miserable to have Remus's Furry Little Problem."

"Do you know where Remus is, then, Potter?" came a stern female voice from behind them making all three spin around. Lily Evans was standing at the base of the girls' staircase, hands on her hips, dressed in a long green dressing gown that matched her eyes perfectly. Her light auburn hair was pulled back into a messy early morning ponytail. She had on a pair of white furry slippers that seemed very unLilyesque. Lily was tailed by a fat white cat who raced towards the fire hissing at Sirius as it took its place. Sirius growled irritably back at it.

"Oh, good 'morrow Evans," said James leaning his neck over the back of the arm chair so he was looking upside down at her. He was grinning broadly.

"Crawl into a hole and die, Potter," she said very seriously. "Do you know where Remus is or not?"

"Why do you ask?" asked James now sitting normally.

"Because he's my friend, Potter," she stood in front of the fire facing James, her arms crossed.

"I dunno where he is," said James shrugging.

"You were just talking about him," she said angrily, "I heard you saying something about him being hurt and miserable."

"Did I?" James looked around at Peter and Sirius as if he was very confused, "Sirius did I say anything about Remus?"

"Nope. No you haven't."

"Peter?"

"Not that I know of," squeaked the blonde.

"I'm sorry Evans, you must be halluicanat--"

"Then where is he?" She snapped, "he's one of your best friends! You have to know."

Before James could say anything Peter squeaked, "his mum's ill!"

Lily's narrowed green eyes didn't move from James's grinning face. His expression didn't change in the slightest when he said, "there you have it."

"Again?"

"What?" asked James some smugness disappearing, "what do you mean 'again'?"

A small smirk started in the corner of Lily's mouth. "I thought his mum just got over being sick. A few weeks ago he said she was ill, he left, then he came back and said she was fine. Where is he really?"

James's mind was working very quickly although none of this was given away by his outward appearance aside from the fact that he shot Peter an almost reprimanding look. "Uhh...she's ill again is all. Relapse, happens. My mum's a Healer, I know."

Lily didn't look like she believed him at all. She straightened and looked towards the door, "So he won't be in the hospital wing...?"

James looked urgently around at the other two, Sirius swallowed hard and Peter bit his lip. "No, he won't be," he said with confidence.

"So if I go looking..." she headed toward the portrait hole.

James leapt to his feet, "wait! Evans! Hang on I'm coming too, I want to see the look on your face when you realize he's not there."

He shot a quick look back at Peter and Sirius that made Lily smirk quickly and proudly as he followed her into the portrait hole.

"So Evans," said James as the Fat Lady swung shut behind them grudgingly complaining about the time, "why the sudden interest in the Scotsman?" His fingers were racking through his hair forcing it to straight, somewhat static attention.

"It isn't sudden, Potter," she responded avoiding looking at him as they descended the staircase. "He's my friend and fellow prefect, he gets sick so often I'm concerned."

"I see. Jump that next stair," James indicated to where she was about to step.

"Please Potter," Lily gave him an insulted look, "everyone knows the one after that is the trick stair."

"Not before nine AM," James said. She tested it. Her foot caught and sank up the the knee. Lily tried to pull her right leg out, overbalanced and fell backward in James's waiting arms. He shot her an "_I told you so_" kind of look.

"Don't smirk, Potter," she spat, straightening quickly. She grudgingly jumped the step.

"Why didn't you believe me?" He leapt the stair too.

"I thought you might have been lying to me," she said as they turned down the Transfiguration Hallway.

"Why would I lie to you?" He asked, "I'm perfect."

"Ha!" spat Lily.

"No, I mean it, I'm handsome, top of our year, best Quiddich player since McGonagall, Prank God--"

"Shut up now!" She span around her hands balled into fists, "it's disgusting! I don't know how people listen to you talk! You're not perfect, you're about as FAR FROM perfect as is possible! You're cruel, arrogant, and selfish! You honestly make me sick!"

"You don't think that's a tiny bit harsh?" he asked in a nervous voice.

"NOT NEARLY HARSH ENOUGH!" she shouted.

He looked down, biting his lip, looking crushed for the tiniest fraction of a second then he looked happily up at her, "you don't mean that!"

"Every word, Potter, and besides," she added spinning around to face him, "about you being a 'prank god' I seem to remember someone got you pretty badly in our third year."

James turned pink, "yeah, well, that was different, it was one time, and...er...well...I got Snivelly back for it in the end!"

"What makes you think it was Severus?" asked Lily her green eyes glittering in a way James didn't recognize.

"Well, I mean, who else could it be?" he asked, "Who could do _that_ to pumpkin juice without changing the taste, I was green and orange for _weeks_."

"Oh, I remember," giggled Lily.

"They'd have to be brilliant at potions."

"They would have to be," she agreed.

"They'd have to be really fast I couldn't have left my goblet for more than five seconds," he added.

"Unless they did it before you got there," Lily offered.

"Then they'd have to know where I sit," he said.

"And," said Lily with finality, "they would have to know that you mix your grapefruit juice and your pumpkin juice. I was actually quite proud."

James stopped dead his jaw falling open, "what are you–? Are you trying to tell me that you–? No, no, not prim-and-proper Lily Evans. That...it...what?" He looked at her helplessly confused.

Lily who was leaning smugly against the wall looking at him giggled suddenly, "you know, you're rather cute when you're confused."

"Really?" asked James his expression didn't change at all aside from the fact that his hazel eyes became huge.

Lily laughed harder before she straightened regaining composure, "Pott–James?"

He swallowed , "yes Eva–Lily, you know you have a beautiful name. Lily. Lily. Lily. I do really–"

"James, look, I told you a secret now will you tell me Remus's?"

The look of ecstasy faded quickly from James's face and he shook his head, "no."

"Come on, he's my friend."

"No."

"Is it his mum?" she asked, "is she a...a...you know...a werewolf?"

"No," James assured her biting back a laugh.

"Well," she said embarrassedly, "I thought because he's gone so often, I've been keeping track, once a month, and when he comes back he always looks so tired and if he'd been caring for her...Does she beat him, then? That would explain the cuts and things."

"No."

"If I got it would you tell me?"

"No."

"I'll," she looked around as if trying to find something to barter before saying, "I'll go out with you if you tell me."

"No. And stop guessing!" he got her just as she opened her mouth, "I'm never going to tell! He's one of my best mates and I'm not going to betray his trust, no matter what you do, no matter what you say, I will never _ever ever_ tell you! I'd die before I'd betray him!" James shouted.

It was Lily's turn to look surprised and confused.

"What?" asked James trying and failing to understand her expression.

"That was...I never would have...I misjudged you, Potter...I really never would have thought...that was honorable, downright NOBLE even. I can't believe...you're a great friend James."

"I didn't do anything that weird. Friends protect each other, it's part of the package." He looked confused again, "I didn't do anything amazing for once."

She went up on tiptoe to kiss him lightly on the cheek. His cheek turned bright red where her lips touched as if he was burned. "But I'm going to find out what's wrong with Remus," she told him.

James was lightheaded and his eyes had clouded over with a pink haze, he didn't notice the cold and dangerous tone of Lily's voice, nor that she had pulled her wand. He actually didn't notice that he'd been hexed and was now stuck to the wall for a good five minutes.

_A/N: I was gonna make this a one shot, but I got lazy, 'twill be in 2 chappies. All the answers for the crossword puzzle are correct (except the Austria-Hungary thing.) I just used really random things that amused me. Odsplurt is a real word too, it's old English for "god's wounds" just one of the many useless things I know :D! Old English rox my world! Oh the problems with continuity. By the end of the Sirius/Am story you'll see why Sirius probably shouldn't be able to be all Animagi-ing. Although I'll just say what happened has already fully healed. Besides there's no way you could keep Sirius out of the snow. Okay, decision made. Ignore. _

_So...yeah..._

_-The Evil Duck_


End file.
